Const. Alex Omoding (right) and Sgt. Davinder Dalep (left) with the recovered tandem bike. Photo courtesy of Jim Beatty
A tandem bicycle has been reunited with two Oak Bay teen boys thanks to police after being stolen two months ago.
Ben Beatty, 18, and 16-year-old Jay Martell both purchased the bike earlier in the year for $200 and rode it almost every day to Oak Bay High School together.
It was stolen from the friends after being left at the school overnight and Ben’s father, Jim Beatty, was sure the bike would end up like many others, not to be found again.
“We did everything to look for it, we made reports, we just figured it was long gone,” said Beatty.
The bike was eventually found by Oak Bay Public Works after being dumped on Hampshire Road. It was turned into Oak Bay police and was about to be put to auction when one officer noticed something familiar about the bike.
“Const. Alex Omoding remembered the police report and is a real bike guy, he looked at it and felt “I think I know the owner of this bike,”… so he looked through all the files this morning, found us and called me,” said Beatty.
Beatty says the boys will be back on the tandem bike right away, and that such an act doesn’t happen in big cities.
“This act of professionalism and kindness from the police has made two boys and two families very happy, this is what community policing is all about, this makes Victoria what it is.”
Julian Kolsut
